


hope, coffee, and poetry

by DizzyRedhead



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Background Chris "Chowder" Chow/Caitlin Farmer, Fluff, Insecurity, M/M, Multi, PolyFrogs, Polyamory Negotiations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-21 04:26:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11936280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzyRedhead/pseuds/DizzyRedhead
Summary: Nursey and Dex have a crush





	hope, coffee, and poetry

**Author's Note:**

  * For [moonkid28](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonkid28/gifts).



> Birthday fic for moonkid28/hoenursey. Happy birthday, Freezie! I hope you're safe and dry.
> 
> Unbetaed because I'm a procrastinating procrastinator who procrastinates, so if you see a typo or something, let me know.

_“You deserve a lover who wants you disheveled,  
_ _with everything and all the reasons that wake you up in a haste_  
and the demons that won’t let you sleep.

 _You deserve a lover who makes you feel safe,_  
who can consume this world whole if he walks hand in hand with you;   
someone who believes that his embraces are a perfect match with your skin.

 _You deserve a lover who wants to dance with you,_  
who goes to paradise every time he looks into your eyes   
and never gets tired of studying your expressions.

 _You deserve a lover who listens when you sing,_  
who supports you when you feel shame and respects your freedom;   
who flies with you and isn’t afraid to fall.

_You deserve a lover who takes away the lies  
and brings you hope, coffee, and poetry.”_

_― Frida Kahlo_

* * *

 

They talk in the dark, curled around each other in the bottom bunk, touching as much as physically possible. They’ve learned, through time and trial, through testing the bounds of their relationship as far as they can stretch, that they need to be touching. Some conversations need the light--Derek needs to see that Will means what he says, Will needs to see that Derek isn’t angry, isn’t pulling away from him.

But sometimes they need the safety of the darkness to say what they need to say. What they’re thinking, what they’re feeling. Sometimes Derek thinks this is the strongest part of them, words weaving between them like the millions of tiny threads that make up the fabric of their relationship.

He knows his boyfriend well enough to know that something’s on Will’s mind, and the temptation is there, always, to push and poke until Will opens up. But he doesn’t want to crack Will like an egg, leave those sharp, broken edges for both of them to bleed on. So he waits, one hand carding absently through Will’s hair, one hand rubbing soothing circles over Will’s shoulder, as they talk, drifting from topic to topic.

He’s just started to think that it won’t be tonight, that they’ll drift off to sleep without Will saying it, and that’s okay, this is his favorite way to fall asleep, wrapped up in Will. But then he feels Will’s chest expand as he sucks in a breath, the slight tension in muscles that were loose and relaxed, and the surge of expectation draws him back to alertness.

“I think--”

Will’s voice is barely above a whisper to begin with, but it trails off sharply. Derek waits for a minute--he can practically feel the wheels turning in Will’s head, but when nothing further is forthcoming, he prompts, “You think?”

Another deep breath, a long exhale. “I think I have a crush on Chowder--Chris,” Will breathes, the words running together. His whole body goes tense in Derek’s arms, bracing himself for who knows what. Rejection, ridicule, resentment--Derek forcibly drags his mind away from its alliterative tangent, back to the moment at hand. It’s possible he’s a little more tired than he thought.

“Okay,” he says, keeping his voice quiet, too. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Will sags against him, his forehead pressed to Derek’s shoulder. “What’s to talk about?” he asks, his voice muffled between them. “We’re together, Chris is with Farmer. It’s a stupid crush. I just--I didn’t want to hide it. I didn’t want to lie to you.”

Derek has to kiss him for that, a press of lips against the top of his head. “Thank you.”

They lie there in silence for another few minutes, just breathing, just being. “You could tell him,” Derek says, his hand curved around the back of Will’s skill. “Just because--monogamy isn’t the only way people do things. If you wanted, you could tell him. You could ask him.”

“I know,” Will returns, his voice soft and heavy with sleep. “I just--I don’t know. It could be weird. I don’t think I could handle it, if it was weird. If it changed things.”

“That’s okay, too.” Derek hesitates for a second, but, fuck it. “That’s mostly why I never said anything. He and Farms are good together. I didn’t want to fuck that up, fuck up our friendship.”

Will is silent for a long, long moment. “You know this doesn’t--I still--ugh.” He groans. “This was a lot easier when I thought monogamy was the way I was supposed to be.”

“Was it?”

A sigh, warm against Derek’s throat. “No. I felt a lot guiltier.” Will pulls back, enough that Derek can see his face, just barely visible in the light filtering through their window. “You know this doesn’t--I still want to be with you. This crush--it doesn’t change that.”

“I still want to be with you, too.” Derek can’t deny the frisson of relief washing through his body. “I wanted you, right from the start. These feelings--they’re not instead of.”

It’s an awkward phrasing, it’s not the eloquence he wants, but it’s 2 a.m. Will seems to get it, anyway, closing the distance between them. “Okay. We’re okay?”

“We’re okay,” Derek confirms, pulling Will just that little bit closer. “Go to sleep, babe.”

He thinks Will starts to protest, but the yawn that interrupts him renders the words unintelligible. Derek’s eyes are heavy, and Will is warm and comforting in his arms, and the next thing he knows morning light is streaming in through the window.

They’ve separated a little in the night, like they always do, as much as possible in the twin bed, but Will’s hand is resting on his chest, Will’s legs intertwined with his, and it’s good. It’s so good.

* * *

“What would I even say?” Will blurts out, spinning around in the desk chair until he’s facing Derek sprawled out over the bottom bunk, looking up at him with the raised-eyebrow expression that means _I can’t actually read your mind._ “To Ch-Chris. How do you say ‘hey, we’re both in relationships, but I like you’?”

“Like that?” Derek shrugs, marking his place with one of his seven million highlighters. “It doesn’t have to be a big thing.”

Will lets his head fall back, his arms fall to the sides, in a vain attempt to let go of some of the anxiety swirling in his stomach. “Ugh. Why am I like this?”

“Why am I like this?” Derek counters, his voice warm in the way that Will just wants to wrap around himself like a blanket. “There’s nothing wrong with loving more than one person, babe. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“I know,” Will replies automatically. “I just--I wish it wasn’t so hard. I wish I knew what I should do.”

Derek hums thoughtfully. “Would you want to know? If things were the other way, if C had a crush on you, would you want him to tell you?”

“Of course I would,” Will replies without thinking.

“So--” Derek shrugs, but his eyes are warm and soft and Will can’t imagine how he ever thought Derek didn’t care. “I can’t tell you what to do, babe. Pretty sure that would make me a big hypocrite.”

Will runs his fingers through his hair. “Okay, but, like, what if Chris is cool with it? And Farmer? What if it’s all sunshine and rainbows and polyamory? Where does that leave us?”

“Will, babe,” Derek’s eyes are even softer. “We’re solid. We’re good. If you want to date Chris too, that’s ‘swawesome. I don’t want to tell you what to do, or push you into anything you’re not into, but it seems like this is going to bug you if you don’t at least try to make it happen.”

“What about you?” Will shoots back. “You said you had a crush, too.”

Derek ducks his head, shrugging. “Yeah, but it’s chill.”

“Is it?” Will crosses the room to sit down on Derek’s bunk, takes his boyfriend’s hand in his. He should have done this from the beginning; it’s always easier when they’re together. “Or are you telling me the things you want someone to tell you?”

For a long, terrible moment he’s afraid he miscalculated, but then Derek lets out the breath he was holding, leans his head against Will’s shoulder.

“Yeah, okay.” Derek breathes out again, squeezing Will’s hand. “Together?”

“Together.”

* * *

“We have pizza!” Chowder announces, shouldering open the door and setting the stack of pizza boxes on the scarred coffee table in front of the couch. Farmer follows him in, two shopping bags looped over her arms and her usual fond smile curving her lips. For a second Derek panics, because what are they doing? Are they really going to do this?

He looks over at Will, trying to figure out how to telepathically communicate, _What the fuck are we doing?,_ but Will is looking at Chowder--at Chris--with heart eyes that are practically visible from space and, well, that’s that. Derek is perfectly capable of ignoring his own crush, because C and Farms are happy, and why mess that up with his feelings. But Will--for Will, he can be brave.

“What are we watching?” Farmer asks, passing out the drinks.

“Um.” Will clearls his throat, the pink on his cheeks rapidly spreading over his face. “Actually, first, uh--”

Derek laces their fingers together when Will falters. “We wanted to talk to you guys for a minute, if that’s okay?”

“Sure,” Chris says, flopping down next to Farmer on the couch. “What’s up?”

“Will and I have been talking.” Derek squeezes Will’s hand. “And we, uh--we both kind of have a crush on you, C.”

“And it’s cool if you and Farms are exclusive,” Will breaks in. “We don’t want to make you uncomfortable, we just, uh, wanted to--to tell you, I guess.”

Chris blinks at them in silence for a few seconds, his eyes moving from Derek to Will and back again, before turning to Farmer.

“I haven’t changed my mind since the last time we talked about it,” she says easily, cracking open her Dr. Pepper.

“You’re the best,” Chris tells her, leaning in for a quick kiss.

“I know,” she says lightly, shoving him off the couch. “Go get your boys.”

Derek swears he can hear Will thinking, or maybe those are his thoughts, stopping and starting. “C?”

Chris looks, not uncertain, exactly, as he crosses to them, but almost shy. “I didn’t--you two were doing really well. I didn’t want to mess with that, or come between you--” Derek watches in awe as Chris flushes almost the same pink as Will does.

“I dunno,” he drawls, reaching out with his free hand, grinning like an idiot when Will does the same and Chris takes both of their hands, the same soft, wondering smile on both of their faces. “I think we might be okay with that.”

Over on the couch, Farmer groans, but her eyes are twinkling. “Just kiss!” she mock-heckles.

Will and Chris lick their lips at the exact same time and it’s Derek’s turn to groan. “You guys are gonna kill me,” he says, softly but with feeling.

That’s probably why Will smirks at him before using their joined hands to pull Chris closer, leaning in until their lips meet, soft and sweet and gentle. They look good together, right, in a way that could easily make Derek feel excluded. Except for the fact that both of them are still holding Derek’s hands, keeping him close. Except for the way that Will smiles softly as he pulls back and nudges Chris toward Derek. Except for the soft press of Chris’s lips against Derek’s, the wamrth of Will’s fingers around his.

Who knows how long they would have stood there, grinning like idiots, if Chris’s stomach hadn’t growled, sending them all into not-quite-hysterical laughter. “Food?” he asks, squeezing their hands one more time before letting go.

“Food and movie,” Farmer agrees, flipping open the top pizza box. “Just because he’s your boyfriend too doesn’t mean I’m letting him out of cuddle time. Sharing is caring.”

It’s remarkably easy to tangle themselves together on the couch, bickering amiably about the movie. Derek knows it’s not always going to be this way. There are going to be problems and awkward conversations and jealousies and misunderstandings. It’s not going to be perfect. Nothing ever is.

But it’s going to be good.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like a random assortment of stuff, you can [follow me on Tumblr](http://dizzy-redhead.tumblr.com).


End file.
